Initial D Second Stage

I'll be honest with you guys, I really enjoyed the second stage, much more so than its predecessor. With only 13 eps to spare the series wastes no time, almost everything that is said or done adds to the story or develops the characters significantly, it was this that kept me glued to the screen as I watched it. The first stage was much more spaced out there was a lot more needless comic relief.

Itsuki from stage 1 annoyed me, he was brash, loud, irritating and a failure as a human being, it was frustrating that he didn't develop at all - but the during ... the second stage he begins to show signs of changing, and it isn't just Itsuki. Every single member of the cast shows signs of changing - this sort of character development was completely absent from the first stage.

Having said this the 2nd stage hasn't lost its focus at all, along with this character development we get to see lots of exciting races and they're animated even better than they were before.

I take my hat off to whoever picked the ending theme - because it suits the series so SO well.

To conclude, if you don't like cars you're probably not going to like Initial D (especially the first season), the show does have a lot more to offer though.

PS - I have always driven like a lunatic - Like Takumi I began driving Illegally at 14 and own what many would describe as a piece of shit on wheels, but to me it's my piece of shit - something I've driven for 7 years now I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world!

I like cars, but I'm against spending loads of money on them, I think what's important is that you understand how your vehicle works, that you put in the time and effort to "make it your own".

One criticism I do have - is that so far there hasn't been a single fatal injury in the series, my cousin died while street racing, the sort of happy endings that Initial D portrays don't always take place, in the real world people end up smashing through barriers and falling off mountains

Though this series is much shorter than the previous season, it does cover a lot of ground. What I really liked about 2nd Stage is that it focuses more on character development and the relationships of the characters. Specifically the main ones like Itsuki and Takumi. Iketani and Kenji are still around, but they play their uses, but they aren’t really that central or given the same screen time like in season 1. You get to see more of how emotional and passionate Takumi can really be at times, and I like how Itsuki is not just really a comic relief character and has his ... good side to him.

Once again, the technical jargon is still present. If you did not see my review of season 1, I will once again state it may be difficult to understand, but once everything is applied, you’ll understand it better. I feel it needs to be present so it can educate the viewer. Plus, I still stand by regardless of being able to fully understand, I feel that the tech speak is what help makes it more distinctive and aims to be realistic.

Sadly, as a Keisuke fan, though he is used, he’s not useful in the way that I want him to be, but with Ryosuke being my number one favorite character, well, check out the series to find out what I mean because it’d only be a spoiler with what his character does.

Not only do the characters and the relationships develop, the art and animation tremendously improve from season 1 as well. The coloring is more shiny and glossy, there is more detail to the hair, the proportions are more even, and the cg is much better rendered. There aren’t much races in this season, but what’s good is that the races aren’t exclusive to Akina anymore and only one race happens there so it prevents itself from getting repetitive. You finally get to see the Red Suns’ home turf of Akagi, and we also get a brand new course of Shomaru as well. However, the outcome of the final race in this anime does differ significantly from the manga version which may either disappoint you, or something you can embrace since it is something different and it’d be boring just to watch something when you already know the outcome. Anyway, new factors such as a combination of psychological and environmental come into play still, but in a whole new approach in comparison to season 1 in ways you wouldn’t expect.


Once again, the cast from season 1 that return are still present. I really love how Itsuki is portrayed as more sensitive and emotional and Iwata does a great job of that. I also love Tanaka Masahiko, who I recall as the voices of the Kazekage from Naruto and Mashiba Ryo from Hajime no Ippo as Kyoichi. He’s a total asshole you want to see get his ass handed to him. And the best addition to this season is Wataru’s seiyuu, Matsumoto Yasunori, the voice of Gourry from Slayers, Jacky Bryant from Virtua Fighter, and many others. He does a great job of playing someone who is distant and has a short temper and it makes him oblivious, so I like that portrayal. Nothing really to complain with voice acting.

And the music only gets better, the perfect example, the ending theme Kimi Ga Iru by Galla. It’s so beautiful, well toned and pitched, and excellently paced. It really captures you and reflects the character relationship nature of this show on my impression. And you can’t have Initial D without the good ol’ Eurobeat. We got 100 by Dave Rodgers and we also got Burning Desire, also from the Para Para Paradise games. So pretty much everything I could say about music and voice acting from season 1 can be said here.

Well, to watch this season, I strongly recommend season 1 first. Yes, I still also say that Initial D isn’t an anime for everyone, but this season has more traits that most anime fans would want in an anime, but to understand the characters and how they developed to that point and how they further develop, you have to watch season 1 first and to get a better understanding of the cars as well. Granted it does have some significant changes if you are at all familiar with the manga, but the changes are done for all the right reasons and is still an enjoyable anime.

Second Stage was half as long as First Stage. Although it was shorter it still packed just as much a punch as the first stage did. The race scenes in this one were awesome! The artwork was much cleaner and flowed WAY SMOOTHER than the first. You can tell that the storytelling and character development was the main focus of Second Stage. Overall it is an excellent series and I would watch it again without a doubt. I kind of feel sorry for Itsuki though. Poor Guy can't catch a break with ANY WOMAN! haha 9 out of 10

Spoiling bits of the story, but not too important ones.



At first I thought Initial D was about racing, cars and kind of like a coming of age story featuring Takumi, but it's just so much more than that.

While Season 1 was a near perfect introduction to the whole story, Season 2 was a 100% perfect continuation to it.

And here are my reasons for that:

... First of all, the antagonists:
They started off very weak with Iwakii Seiji who just was like any other antagonist.
Mean, kind off stubborn and overall a prejudging idiot.
Just the kind of antagonist you are supposed to hate.
Don't get me wrong here, I hate it when an anime obviously wants to influence your opinion on a character, but the other antagonists made this part of the story completely enjoyable.

Akiyama Wataru and Sudou Kyouichi were the creme de la creme of antagonists to me.
Kyouichi with his kind of badass appearance but at the same time he was so kind and truly wanted Takumi to change for the better.
And Wataru which wasn't a good antagonist, because of how he behaved, but because of the fact that he was there to lead Takumi into something greater.
They both showed Takumi big weaknesess he has to lose in order for him to win his races.
Truly important and well written characters.

Another thing that made this anime season a 10 for me was the romance/feelings part:

First of all let's talk about Itsuki X Kazumi and Takumi X Mogi.

The almost GODLIKE behavior Takumi brought towards Mogi was just so satisfying to watch.
And Mogi reacted just like a normal person would.
She realized she did something wrong and now she would have to change for the better in order to get back to Takumi.
It was obviously not his fault and she should make that clear to him so that they can maybe reunite.
I don't know yet if I would be a fan of that though.

Itsuki X Kazumi was also so good.
I personally didn't like Itsuki in Season 1 at all, because he was always the guy that talked nonsense and cried, screamed and laughed like the biggest idiot ever, BUT in Season 2 this guy was just a whole different person.
A more reasonable and better person in my opinion.
He spitted facts all over the place.
I could spent a whole day just listening to Itsuki's sad life and romance experience, and why is that?
It's because I can completely understand his feelings.
I felt the same way. I guess everyone felt the same way when they got their heart crushed the first time for their life. I just could relate perfectly.

Talking about feelings I was so happy to see Takumi showing off his feelings FINALLY.
The moment he cried because of the race with Kyoichi I CRIED TOO. I loved it.
He finally opened up to his father and I for the first time felt like they had a father son connection.
Before that they always seemed so far apart.
Never talking to each other much and only about cars, but now they were talking about how they feel and they tried to solve a problem together.
I just loved seeing them so close together.
I mean his father is probably one of the best written characters as well since he just helps his son develop so much but not by telling him what to do, but by pushing him to his limits and letting himself discover how to get better. Loved it.

Also the use of soundtracks, especially Deja Vu was just amazing. I loved the art and the soundtracks all along!

Hope anyone can relate that this Season was extraordinary and one of the most important steps to take for Takumi.

Tadgh: This series was always one I never thought I'd like. We draw our anime from a list out of a hat, so when the first Initial D came up I was skeptical. After the first series, I couldn't wait for more. Sad part is, we draw our anime out of a hat, so I had to wait. I was stoked when this series came up and it didn't disappoint. The characters were really fleshed out here and everyone seemed to grow. The races are still exciting. The others in my group might disagree, but I really like the CG cars. Everything about this anime ... besides the 90's music makes me excited for more.

Laohoam- I really enjoyed the story this time. The character development really stepped up and all though it was shorter in episodes I feel that this season gave more overall. Though I did not like the new art style as much the rest easily compensates for that. I am very excited to move on to the next stage.

Rasanaph- Enjoyed it as much as Stage 1 and looking forward to Stage 3.

Dr R. Dash- okay when we all finished Initial D first stage, WE all loved it! so very much and after we pulled Second stage out the hat we all got very serious. So going into this series we knew Takumi needs to grow more than in first stage, and we guessed right , so many elements of real life and hardship come into play that it felt to short but we are happy and pumped for stage 3. My opinion I wish the voice actors wouldn't have changed but we got used to it and I personally dont see any way they can revert to non CG animation for the races I think its just going to keep getting better.:)

This anime always has a charm to it that makes it so enjoyable and I love it so much.

Not only is this anime enjoyable, everything about it is flawless in my POV.

STORY - outstanding, couldn't see why anyone wouldn't love the story. The story of this particular anime is uplifting and executed beautifully

ART - I love the art of all the stages, it's always an aesthetic vibe and when it comes to races, I love how the car designs in general look. The character designs could get choppy at some times but there's no reason to not love the art of this anime

SOUND ... - Amazing.... Eurobeat.... Car Effects.... These all impact the love for this anime and the sound is just executed flawlessly

CHARACTER - This might be biased but all of the characters are exquisitely written and I absolutely love every single character that's displayed in this anime

ENJOYMENT - I've been telling you how much I love this anime through all of what was written above ^^^^^

Overall - Masterpiece, 10/10.

This review both covers First Stage & Second Stage. I’ll try not to spoil as much as possible.

Well, for me, this is a rarity for an anime series where the subject involves street racing although it is not strange in Japan since the concept of that is known in 8 countries and the fact that street racing has been involved in other parts of media including videogames like Midnight Club, some elements of street racing have been shoved in Grand Theft Auto & later iterations of Need For Speed franchise and also in the cinema, which I will bring up later in the review.
...


Anyway, it is based off the manga series created by Shuichi Shigeno and it’s been serialized in Kodanasha’s Young Magazine. The story focuses on the world of illegal Japanese street racing, where all the action is concentrated in the mountain passes and rarely in cities nor urban areas, and the drift racing style (a driving technique where the driver intentionally oversteers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels, while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner is emphasized in particular.



In the first stage of the series, it focuses on high school student Takumi Fujiwara, who works at a gas station attendant by day but at night he’s a delivery boy (since 7th grade) for his father’s tofu shop. His father is Bunta Fujiwara, a street racer with a great reputation in his younger days and was known as “The Ghost of Akina”. What little did Takumi knew, he does have an inherent sense for drifting on local mountain roads and is a natural expert yet he never seem interested doing that until a local race team called the Akina Speed Stars, who is in need of a replacement driver after the last one had an accident, is going up against reigning skilled street racers the RedSuns.



In the second stage of the series, a team from the Tochigi Prefecture called Team Emperor and their leader Kyoichi Sudo challenges every racing team in the Gunma area and does come out victorious and once they heard of The Akina Eight-Six and they see what it can do, the tension around there raises not only for the Akina SpeedStars but for all of the racers in the Gunma area.



As for characters, while Takumi seems like it doesn’t give a damn about street racing, later in the series, he starts to understand the pride of a street racer and does begins accepting challenges, despite the car he was being a Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86, which is considered inferior towards the other racer’s cars and when Takumi outshines them in the races, even though, what he’s got wasn’t up to current standards, it makes me ask this question………does he have the touch?



Okay, that was a bit stupid.

As for the his team, his friend Itsuki is the comic relief of the show and yes, he is loud and obnoxious and won’t staple his mouth shut for a while but he does play the role of being confident in Takumi and his racing skills. Iketani is the leader of the Akina SpeedStars and while he is an average driver, he fits the leadership at a few times and Kenji, best friend of Iketani and possibly one of the level-headed members of the group (Iketani is a close second).

I would mention Natsuki Mogi, the love interest of Takumi, and they do have this subplot of him and her hanging out and eventually ending up together but her part doesn’t get bigger until the 2nd stage, where we (but mostly Takumi) also learned that she’s engaged in enjo kosai to make some extra cash on the side but Takumi isn’t the only one with love in the brain. Iketani does have a crush on this girl named Mako Sato, who is part of the racing duo Impact Blue with her as the driver and her partner Sayuki as the navigator, but that relationship also have dire consequences during that course and Itsuki did have…….or had a relationship with this girl but that part is very unimportant to the plot of the series.



Now, originally I thought this series was going to be a rip-off of The Fast and The Furious movies but that’s due to the fact that when TokyoPop originally got the license of the anime and the manga, they would Americanize the characters’ names and some did reflect the changes Sega pushed when they implanted into the Western releases of the video games following (Iggy, Tak, Natalie, Maya, Simone, Cole), throw in some street slang which to attract the younger audiences and where the original had some Eurobeat music mixed in, they replaced with some (IMO) very generic rock and hip hop music done by the CEO of TokyoPop, Stu Levy or better yet, his stage name DJ Milky (Really? DJ Milky? I thought Plies was a worst name for a rapper and/or producer). That result just seem like they want this to be like The Fast and The Furious when it’s not. Unlike those movies, the plot of the series actually involves racing and so far it sticks to it and I’m a guy that actually likes Fast Five……and possibly a bit of Tokyo Drift but I see why want to cash in with those movies and it’s a horrible reason nevertheless a reason.

Also, the music in the original Japanese and Funimation dub was alright but it never drawn that much attention from me, although the first opening and ending songs was good, the later ones I could care less about. The music just seem like videogame music for Dance Dance Revolution rather than anything to do with racing but hey, I think it fits more into the series than the other music. The TokyoPop songs were honestly too corny and too self-reliant on grunge rock and hip hop to sell to Western audiences and possibly that and the awful excuse of a rap song from the 4Kids dub of One Piece are mostly the reason why sometimes anime and hip hop don’t mix that well together (except for Samurai Champloo and Afro Samurai, those actually go well together).



The animation for both series is proved to be dated, considering the anime was made in the late 90s, some character designs were a bit crude but it is realistic and differs from the traditional anime look. The CG racing cars does clash with the 2D animation and it is not a good sight but the animation does improve during the second stage with the character designs being less crude-looking but still retains its realistic look.



FINAL VERDICT: The anime is actually good and I didn’t have any high or great expectations of this but this one actually surprised me. It actually focuses on its prime objective and doesn’t glamourize the life of being a street racer (i.e. drugs, parties, women at the palm of your hands) and while it does show illegal street racing (albeit only on mountain passes), the show does advise you to only do this at safe locations like a track where you won’t run over somebody and takes what lessons about drifting seriously, as in, this is nothing to joke about. I would recommend if you are somebody that expected more from the you-know-what movies, this is your treat. The 2nd stage of the series actually covers more of the plot without putting much filler episodes like in the previous one.



Also, for the ones who are prefer dubs like me, stick to the FUNimation dub. The TokyoPop dub may have voice actors you like but honestly, this dub does no justice to them.

Second stage is more of the same, for better or worse. We get to see Takumi push the limitations of his 86 even further (eventually past its breaking point). More races outside of the usual Akina downhill get showcased as well. The drama/romance arcs still mostly fall flat, but it's definitely handled better than in first stage. Itsuki just takes more L's, but it plays an important role regarding Takumi's progression as a racer.

There are some odd changes in character design, but the art/animation is an improvement overall. The cgi is less jarring and animated more fluidly. The backgrounds are less flat and bland than ... before. The soundtrack remains unique and fits nicely with racing.

Overall, I had a decent time with this season. I'd imagine i would have enjoyed it more if I had more interest the more technical aspects of racing, but there enough stuff outside of that to keep me interested

Well, I'll start with the only two negatives o have;
1. The story isn't as superb as Stage 1. I'm purposely using the word superb here for a reason. It's not at AS superb but it's still great.
2. The animation of the 'non driving' scenes is more polished but lost a little bit of the charm as stage 1. However, it just did what every anime did and got more polished with its animation. Again, this isn't really a negative.
And that is it. That's the only real things I can say are negatives. Let's face it though, they arnt really negatives.

Now, onto everything great. ... First of all, the racing animation is excellent. Better than that in stage 1. The corners are smoother and the movement in general is more realistic. The specific piece of animation that impressed me the most is the dramatic cuts from within the car. The movement between the drivers eyes, the pedals and the engine, oh the engine, was perfectly done. Especially with the engine taking center stage in this season it was a beautiful touch. As far as the non driving parts, it still great, despite my comments in the first paragraph. By the end of this season I had got used to it and really liked it in fact.

Setting aside the fact the story wasn't as superb as Stage 1, it was still excellent. It was also nice that it widened the focus to more than just the races of Takumi. It has lovely character development. The Redsuns along with the Speed Stars take great strides of progression due to this seasons antagonist for what seems to be the perfect set up for Stage 3, though sadly seems to be the worst reviewed season of the anime in general to I guess I'll have to set lower expectations. To me this seemed like a gateway season. One that's main purpose is to set up for the next and by the end of it Stage 2, you really want to continue with this anime.

The music again still hits the mark. Still everything you have come to expect of Initial D from Stage 1. Fits the action perfectly and really drives along with the races to ensure you are on the edge of your seat throughout.

Stage 2 is not as good as Stage 1. This statement really doesn't do the season justice though. It's still excellent, it's still fun, it's still exciting and most certainly is still Initial D.

Quick take: If you like cars, you'll like the story of Takumi Fujiwara and his Trueno 86. While in the First Stage, you'll find a simple plot, the plot become more complex in Second Stage and the battles become much more entertaining. I would say the manga and anime are similar in quality. Rewatch value: high, despite memorable plot, the details become fuzzy as the plot become more complex, making a second watch enjoyable.

The Second Stage treats us to a quicker paced plot where the sub-plots don’t feel like they're necessary to help prevent the story from stalling. The storyline is genuinely more entertaining ... and a tad bit more complex. As such, a second watch means it's rather enjoyable as it isn’t quite as memorable. While I remembered the characters and races, the details were fuzzy and it kept my attention much more easily than the First Stage.

If you had asked me 10 years ago when I first saw InitialD, I would've said I liked the art. Part of me still has a warm fuzz for the style, but as my anime palate expands, it’s clear that the art just feels a tad bit outdated. That being said, it is a huge improvement over the First Stage. Drawn art is much cleaner and I would put it on par with some of the more popular anime’s of the late 1990’s. CGI is a huge improvement as well. We no longer have awkward physics and the cars seem to handle more naturally. We're treated to complex engine renderings, which is a treat visually. Still by no means a home run, but vastly improved.

Sound quality is good, both acting languages (English, Japanese) are well done and comprehensible. The Eurobeat is great and really helps propel the excitement of the races. OST music outside of the Eurobeat is hit-or-miss but seems to have been improved over First Stage. Car sounds are improved, but still seem a bit on the lackluster side.

Characters are well developed and thought out. There is forward development from Takumi, Mogi and Bunta. We're also treated to character development in Itsuki, which is a nice change because he's no longer as annoying.

If you like street racing, drifting or cars in general, you'll get a ton of enjoyment out of InitialD like I did. You may even get enjoyment out of a rewatch if it has been a number of years. For me, I haven't seen InitialD in nearly a decade and haven't read the manga in seven years. All that being said, Second Stage and the manga are equal in quality and design, so either is a good choice.

Initial D is one of the most influential car animes any car enthusiast can watch.

This is technically a follow-up to a review I wrote back in 2022, so this will not be an insightful review of the Initial D Second Stage itself.
| If you have any interest in cars, I think this anime is a must; if you don't, watch this anime if you only particularly want to. |

My life has changed a lot since my first review. In 2022, I deleted the first sentence that I was going to end up wrapped around a tree in five years because of Initial D. ... I'm now 19, and I'm a freshman at Northeastern University. While at Northeastern Oakland for a semester, I finally recognized how impactful Initial D is on my life and the car community as a whole. Ten minutes away from campus lies a road that hosts a diverse group of car enthusiasts. Driving a variety of cars and motorcycles, this community is bonded by one thing and one thing only: the road. With numerous curves and bends, the Touge community lives on through a dedicated group of people who race on the "track." Ask any of these people if they have watched Initial D, and 90% of enthusiasts would say yes. Initial D was the inspiration for many of the people at the Touge and is what pushed people to race their cars. Initial D is not a story about somebody with the fastest car; it is about a boy with skills and ambition. For these enthusiasts, Initial D was more than a story they watched or read, it has integrated itself as an occasional soundtrack in the background while racing.

I would argue that Initial D is one of the most influential animes, but I don't care for all the drama that comes with it. Initial D is important for car enthusiasts is what helped introduce many kids like me to Touge, and I can't express my gratitude for that enough in my life. hope to see myself in two years in something with 300 tw and on the track.

IMO This anime had great potential, but imo it needs a graphics / art overhaul. Comparing this anime to some of the old animes like DBZ or Naruto which continued to improve their art overtime, you can see it. Whereas Initial D's art becomes stale as I felt the artist got lazy and decided not to improve on the overall graphic quality of the manga / anime. The original is a good standard to set, but comparing it to today's anime / art, it's just not appealing and won't cut it.

Story Telling: 7/10

The story telling is amazing. The plot pace moves along well when it ... comes the main character and his car racing days. The character develops very quickly when it comes to the art of racing with his innate talent for it. However when it comes to expressing how the the character feels, I feel like he's matured very slowly in learning how to express himself.

One of the biggest issues I have with this manga/anime and multiple mangas/anime are when romance is introduced. The story focuses more heavily on action, but drops the romance in very suddenly and left hanging from time to time. I feel like there is a lack of balance and development in that area. I feel like there are 2 options when it comes to the romance department and that's to either go in-depth and not half-ass it, or to entirely not even put it in there. It's basically like Naruto where Hinata tells Naruto she loves him out of nowhere, and then many chapters or episodes later, not even mention it.

I consider Initial D to have great potential to be a well known classic like Spirited Away, Totoro, or Kotachi no koe with balanced elements of storytelling, soundtracks, and animation.

TLDR: Romance department is seriously lacking, character development on how he expresses himself can immensely improve.

Soundtrack: 10/10

I really can't complain much about the soundtrack. I think it's amazing and fits the theme of the anime well, it compliments the story, but the art doesn't do it as much justice as it could have.

Art: 5/10

My issue is that the art becomes stale. There are no improvements and quality stream hasn't improved much despite being a huge fan of the manga. I feel like a movie or anime is like a puzzle. You need all the right pieces of the puzzle for it to fit together. If the art continued to improve overtime, I'd be very happy for it to do the soundtrack and storytelling justice. I just felt like the artist got lazy and did not bother while being stubborn with its style.

If you're selling this anime to the older generation, it's considered a classic. I understand where they're coming from as I was born in the 90's as well going for game design and CG programming. If I were to advertise this anime to the audiences of newer generations, it won't be as appealing compared to the likes of Sword Art Online (1st Half of Season 1) or Fate Stay: Unlimited Blade Works where the art, music, and storytelling is stunning.

If Initial D is looking to become a known classic, I really feel like a reboot would really do the anime justice if the romance is taken out or rewritten and also better character development. Art is outdated and won't appeal to newer audiences. It's been almost 2 decades. Even Detective Conan, which is a year older, looks a lot better visually.

This is my second Initial D review. This one being, obviously, about Stage 2. If you are looking at the reviews for the second stage you more than likely know a little about the series already. That, or you are looking to see if -all- the stages/seasons will be worth your time. Either way, i will write this for both of you. I recommend reading my original Initial D Stage 1 review, because I may make references to it on occasion. (http://myanimelist.net/profile/AuronSurmount/reviews)

This will be somewhat a comparison to the previous Stage. In comparison, stage 2 has improved tremendously over stage one. Stage 1 focused ... more on the crazy intimidating races while stage 2 threw in other elements on top of the races, while maintaining the original quality. (If not exceeding the previous quality).

One element they threw in more so than the first season they got quite a bit more technical with the talk. They explain why things work certain ways, and just my listening you learn more about them while enjoying exciting street races. In the two seasons I have watched I learned a little about cars, that i wouldn't have learned otherwise. It wasn't anything drastic, or too important, but awesome nonetheless. I mentioned in my previous review that I had little to no knowledge about cars nor did i really care. However, this series peaks my interest, if only by a little.

Another element, and I believe this is a huge improvement from the previous season, they threw in more side stories for the characters. It is quite obvious that they developed the characters drastically more. Using the example i mentioned in the previous review I will explain more about what I mean. I mentioned the annoying Iggy character, Tak's best friend, they made significant progress with this character. It is obvious the changes around him effected the character, along with the side story they included around Iggy. It most definitely made this series more exciting than the last.

I was very disappointed at the quality of art in Stage 1, both with the characters and with and the cars. However, they decided to go to a better CG route this season. In my opinion, i think it made the series look a whole lot better. Tho, some may disagree with that statement. It makes they stand out and be a bit for flashy. Not to mention They go into a whole lot more detail than the previous Stage. The cars were not the only improvement they made in this season, they also tremendously improved the character art too. It is still not as great as some of the art seen in other anime, but it is most defiantly better. They placed more effort into the cars than the characters, which was a smart move in my opinion.

I downloaded this season, so i didn't get a chance to see how the Japanese version compared to the Dub version. However the sounds, both with the cars and the soundtrack were decently picked and nicely done.

Now that I have mentioned most of the key points for this anime, i should get down to the Enjoyment and overall. There was one major thing that I liked about Stage 2 compared to stage 1, besides the ones stated previously. The length of the anime. It was half as long as stage one which did wonders for this season. I never once complained about the length, nor did they have any real fillers. That itself kept it up to the standard of stage 1. As for the enjoyment... It made it at my must see list. This season didn't slow down any from the previous. It was definitely worth watching. Rewatch Value: Medium - High.

Se você viu essa review deve estar se perguntando por que eu dei uma nota maior para 2st stage do que para o primeiro é simples 2st stage é simplesmente perfeito sinto que o amadurecimento do anime era necessário os diálogos,aqui são muito mais profundos,takumi está mais sério que nunca, um grande exemplo foi o itsuki ele foi de um completo desajeitado babaca pra alguém mais realista no final tudo que aconteceu nessa temp foi o amadurecimento dos personagens, sobre animação ela tem meu traço favorito e initial d ela está linda e suave, o cgi está muito melhor agora com melhores gráficos ... e fluidez, novamente a soundtrack está excepcional com mais toneladas de eurobeat que eu preciso, o anime foi bem curto com 2 vezes menos episódios que a primeira temp porem eu gostei disso não teve enrolação foi direto e bom, o final é o mais satisfatório possível além de bem emocionante, nota 10 top tier incrível

Well... after I finished the first stage I've jumped straight for this second stage and boy was good but with some little flaws.

I'll start with the story/characters.
Here we see a Takumi more mature but he still tries to figure it out his feelings about racing. So this a seasons were Takumi matures a lot. He faced his problems driving and this brings him a couple of lessons that makes him grown a lot as a character.
Also love how Itsuki changed, despite been the comedy relief we see him more emotional and also stepping up his driving skills.
Bad luck for Iketani, I loved him in first ... stage and want it the best for him but no, never happens and here well, he's just there being the leader of Akina Speedstars. Gang where absolutely has nothing to do.
I love the "villains" specially because they use one of my favorites cars. When I saw the first episode, boy I can tell that's my favorite car.
But not all is rose colors. The "villains" are kinda wasted and the finals episodes focuses on a forced introduction of characters that works for Takumi and Itsuki but as I've said, feels disjointed.

The art has a huge improvement. Everybody here looks better and the CGI looks less clunky.
I really like how they changed a little bit the Takahashi Brothers, specially with Ryousuke.
That's pretty much it.

The score here is less attractive but still has the power to hype up and when I've heard "Deja Vu" I can only think "THIS IS GONNA BE LIT".

Overall this is a good "Second Stage" with a little flaws here and there but we gonna see a lot of emotions and Takumi facing good drama.
Not gonna lie I've enjoyed the final battle but wasn't the final battle I wanted.